Shift upmarket for newly hip Dominican Republic

Tipped to become the coolest Caribbean destination in 2010, the Dominican Republic is shaking off its downmarket image with a raft of hotel openings and resort developments, as well as new scheduled flights between London Gatwick and Punta Cana. British Airways is launching a five-times-a-week service on 26 October with fares starting at £621 return. "The fact that, until now, we only had charter flights coming to the island contributed to the country's mass-market reputation," says Esther Smith of the Dominican Republic Tourist Board. "New scheduled flights mean that more upmarket operators are adding us to their programmes, along with some of the new five-star resorts and hotels."

Thomas Cook Signature, BA Holidays and Hayes & Jarvis now offer trips to the Dominican Republic, featuring hotels such as the new Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana (zoetryresorts.com) which opens on 1 November. Its "Endless Privileges" programme boasts a complimentary daily bottle of champagne.

Punta Cana is undergoing a staggering amount of development; the resort of Cap Cana (capcana.com) is set to be the biggest in the Caribbean, with 10,000 new holiday properties, six golf courses and five hotels. The scale of building is not without problems; environmental campaigners are concerned that the island's natural attractions, such as the Jaragua National Park in the south-west of the country, will be endangered, although 20% of the land is protected by law. Not all of the country's development is on such a scale; smaller colonial-style properties have been drawing in celebs such as Jennifer Lopez, Brad Pitt and Bill Clinton. The hippest choices are the coolly elegant Casa Colonial (casacolonial.com; doubles from $257) and The Peninsula House (thepeninsulahouse.com; doubles from $520). More information at godominicanrepublic.com.